Designing a test tube rotator meant for laboratorial mixing of biological material.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Nick Kavalopoulos and Alex Polesiuk for their valuable contribution to my project.
Introduction
Tube rotators are devices used for mixing biological samples in laboratory environment.
This project's goal is to perfect the simple conceptual design of revolving test tubes towards a multi-purpose, aesthetic and by all means effective and handy equipment.
Use
❏ Mixing substances
❏ Solution
❏ Solution of slowly reacting samples
❏ DNA purification
❏ Sign molecules (proteins)
❏ Hybridization
❏ Blood or biological material suspensions
❏ Immunoprecipitation
❏ Cell Culture
❏ Growing bacteria
❏ Viral Culture
❏ Tissue Culture
❏ Magnetic platform for western blot applications
❏ Resuspension
State of the Art
Many biolabs offer tube rotators in a variaty of designs, sizes and capabilities.
The following two represent a much more industrial type of rotators.
We recognize the basic design concept of tubes rotating in parallel or vertically to the main axis.
MRC™Tube Rotator TMO - 1500 Stuart™Tube Rotator
✔ Adjustable rotating speed 5-30 rpm
✔ Adjustable mixing angle 0-90°
✔ Interchangeable plates for different tube sizes
✔ Bearings for quiet performance
In many cases the desire for user friendly designs has led to the
introduction of softer lines, curves and colours as the following.
MRC™Tube Rotator TRO - 1300 ✔Interesting idea!!! Rubber handles have been used forthe retainment of the tubes of various sizes.
The more futuristic designs include interchangeable fins along with adjustment of the mixing angles as the following
Boekel™ Mini Tube Rotator
Specifications
Taking into consideration the state of the art and the needs of the laboratories to where we are addressed, we result in the following specifications.
✫ Versatile design for various tube sizes
✫ Large number of tubes
✫ Interchangeable plates
✫ Performance at room tempterature 5°C - 40°C
✫ Sealing and corrosion reistance
✫ Suitable for continuous automated use
✫ Compact and robust structure
✫ Small size for eay handling and use inside an incubator
✫ Quiet Performance
Conceptual Design
The conceptual design includes:
❏ the basic structure of an axle supported on two pillars
❏ hollow mounts meant for electronic and mechanical equipment nesting
❏ sleek curves
❏ hexagonal plate grippers meant for adjustable mixing angle
❏ potential of a total of forty 1.5 ml tubes when fully loaded (ten at each plate)
How it all turns reality...
! The hollow mounts can only be manufactured with sheets of plexiglass
! The hexagonal plate grippers have been replaced with 3d printed grippers.
The initial intention of hexagonal grippers was quickly dismissed after taking into consideration the
manufacturing process and the risks of an unfortunate axle failure. The power transimission includes a coupler and two ball bearings The motor used for this application is a DC motor.
The adjustment of the angular velocity is done with a potensiometer.
Final Design
Materials
❏ Plexiglass sheets of 2, 5 and 10 mm
❏ Aluminum axle
❏ Custom made Coupler
❏ 2 Ball Bearings for low friction and quiet performance
❏ 6 3D printed grippers
❏ DC Motor with gearbox
❏ Potensiometer
❏ Power Supply 12V
Performance
Future Design
❏ Automation
❏ Use of electronic devices such as
velocity screen
time lapse/ countdown screen
thermometer temperature screen
❏ Autonomy (batteries)
❏ Increase of sealing
❏ Increase the number of tubes according to the demands
❏ Evolution of the grippers for multiple degrees of mixing angles
Tube Rotator_Kylan Kylan
Date
November 2014 - February 2015
Team K04-2014
Paraskevopoulou Anastasia
Student, Dept of Mechanical Eng, NTUA
Short Abstract
Designing a test tube rotator meant for laboratorial mixing of biological material.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Nick Kavalopoulos and Alex Polesiuk for their valuable contribution to my project.
Introduction
Tube rotators are devices used for mixing biological samples in laboratory environment.
This project's goal is to perfect the simple conceptual design of revolving test tubes towards a multi-purpose, aesthetic and by all means effective and handy equipment.
Use
❏ Mixing substances
❏ Solution
❏ Solution of slowly reacting samples
❏ DNA purification
❏ Sign molecules (proteins)
❏ Hybridization
❏ Blood or biological material suspensions
❏ Immunoprecipitation
❏ Cell Culture
❏ Growing bacteria
❏ Viral Culture
❏ Tissue Culture
❏ Magnetic platform for western blot applications
❏ Resuspension
State of the Art
Many biolabs offer tube rotators in a variaty of designs, sizes and capabilities.
The following two represent a much more industrial type of rotators.
We recognize the basic design concept of tubes rotating in parallel or vertically to the main axis.
MRC™Tube Rotator TMO - 1500 Stuart™Tube Rotator
✔ Adjustable rotating speed 5-30 rpm✔ Adjustable mixing angle 0-90°
✔ Interchangeable plates for different tube sizes
✔ Bearings for quiet performance
In many cases the desire for user friendly designs has led to the
introduction of softer lines, curves and colours as the following.
✔Interesting idea!!! Rubber handles have been used forthe retainment of the tubes of various sizes.
The more futuristic designs include interchangeable fins along with adjustment of the mixing angles as the followingBoekel™ Mini Tube Rotator
Specifications
Taking into consideration the state of the art and the needs of the laboratories to where we are addressed, we result in the following specifications.
✫ Versatile design for various tube sizes
✫ Large number of tubes
✫ Interchangeable plates
✫ Performance at room tempterature 5°C - 40°C
✫ Sealing and corrosion reistance
✫ Suitable for continuous automated use
✫ Compact and robust structure
✫ Small size for eay handling and use inside an incubator
✫ Quiet Performance
Conceptual Design
The conceptual design includes:
❏ the basic structure of an axle supported on two pillars
❏ hollow mounts meant for electronic and mechanical equipment nesting
❏ sleek curves
❏ hexagonal plate grippers meant for adjustable mixing angle
❏ potential of a total of forty 1.5 ml tubes when fully loaded (ten at each plate)
How it all turns reality...
! The hollow mounts can only be manufactured with sheets of plexiglass
! The hexagonal plate grippers have been replaced with 3d printed grippers.
The initial intention of hexagonal grippers was quickly dismissed after taking into consideration the
manufacturing process and the risks of an unfortunate axle failure.
The power transimission includes a coupler and two ball bearings
The motor used for this application is a DC motor.
The adjustment of the angular velocity is done with a potensiometer.
Final Design
Materials
❏ Plexiglass sheets of 2, 5 and 10 mm
❏ Aluminum axle
❏ Custom made Coupler
❏ 2 Ball Bearings for low friction and quiet performance
❏ 6 3D printed grippers
❏ DC Motor with gearbox
❏ Potensiometer
❏ Power Supply 12V
Performance
Future Design
❏ Automation
❏ Use of electronic devices such as
velocity screen
time lapse/ countdown screen
thermometer temperature screen
❏ Autonomy (batteries)
❏ Increase of sealing
❏ Increase the number of tubes according to the demands
❏ Evolution of the grippers for multiple degrees of mixing angles
Projects presentation